Electrotherapeutic generator.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

S. N. MBTZLBR. ELEGTROTHERAPEUTIC GENERATOR.

APPLICATIOS PILIJDMAB.9.180B.

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PATBNTED JULY '7, 1908.

S. N. METZLER. ELECTROTHERAPEUTIG GENERATOR.

APPLIGATIOH FILED MAR-9,1908.

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SAMUEL N. METZLER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

ELEGTROTHERAPEUTIC GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul '7, 1908.

Application filed. March 9, 1908. Serial No. 119,977.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. METZLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marionand State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectrotherapeuticGenerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a generator for oxygenating and medicatinglive steam and its administration; and the object of the invention is toprovide a generator by which medicine can be efl'ectively administratedto a patient by inhalation, endosmosis and eXosmosis processes andthereby preclude the distressing disturbances ofttimes arising amonggreatly debilitated patients when taking medicine directly into thestomach.

A further object consists in providing a generator of the above classwhereby a pa tient may be treated, in addition to the administration ofmedicine by inhalation, endosmosis and exosmosis processes, with violetor color light ray which exerts a soothing influence on the nervoussystem of patients suffering with nervous diseases, thereby inducing aquiescent state while they are being administrated to.

l accomplish the objects of my invention by means of a generatorillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, inwhich Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of mygenerator, on the line1 1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the generator on the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view in section on the line 3 3 in Fig.2. horizontal sectional view on the line 1 41 in Fig. 2. .Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view, in detail, on the l ne 5 5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isperspective view of the truncated pyramidaily "formed hook. Fig. '7 is aperspective view of one of the containers or boilers wherein themedicated steam is generated. Fig. 8 is a detail view in front elevationof the converged end of the hood. Fig. 9 is detail underside plan viewof the construction shown in Fig. 8, showing the slide valve whereby theinflow of oxygen is regulated.

In the drawings, re resents a rectangular box or body preferably formedof thin sheet material, open at the rear, and rests upon the casters 16so as to be easily moved or shifted. The body 15 is rovided with acompartment 17, inclosed y the division Wall 18, which forms a chamberfor the boil- 1 Fig. i is a it may be secured by means of the locuandthe heating apparatus. The compartment 17 is made accessible at bothsides of the body 15 through the doors 19, 19. The generator is 'usuallyprovided with three boilers 20 which may be round in outline, as shownin the drawings, or square, and are arranged in the manner shown inFigs. 2 and 3. The boilers 20 are provided with screwcaps 21 which sealthe openings into the boilers through which the medicated. liquid ispassed, and the boilers are further provided with the handles 22, andthe horizontally extending spouts 23 through which the steam isdischarged. The boilers 20 are arranged upon a heating apparatus 25,shown in the drawings as a lamp with a burner for each boiler, but 1have no desire to limit my self to any particular style of a heating apparatus as any heating device capable of generating steam may beemployed, the character of the device being determined by thesurrounding conveniences.

Mounted along the external front end of the body 15 is a series oivertically ex tending pipes and 31 for carrying and distributing thesteam from the boilers 20 to the various points of utilization about thegenerator. A pipe is provided for each of the boilers 20 which connectsby means of T-shaped connections 32 with the ends 01 the steam dischargespouts .S, attached to the boilers 20. Each of the pipes 30 and 31 areprovided with two valves and 34 situated at each sideof theT-connections 32, so that the direction of flow and volume of steam to agiven point may be controlled.

Mounted above the body 15 on the evtensible standard 35 is a truncatedpyramidally formed hood 36, the larger and open end of which is adaptedto receive the head of the patient. The standard 35 enables the hood tobe adjusted to amr-nnmodate itself to the position occupied by thepatients head. W hen the hood has been properly adjusted screw 37. Thereduced end of the hood 36 is provided with a spent 38 to which a tube39 is attached and which tube leads to and connects with the upper endof the central steam distributing pipe 31. By this means the medicatedlive steam is conveyed from the central boiler 20 to and discharged intothe hood 36. The hood 36 is also provided on its under side with an airinlet 40 (see Fig.

'9) through which air and oxygen is permitted ers 20 which contain themedicated liquid 36, through the tube39, also carries a to pass into thehood and be mixed with the medicated steam. The air inlet 40 is providedwith a sliding-valve ll by which the inflowing air can be controlled.The front, or contracted, end of the hood 36, on each side of the spout38 (see Fig. 8) is inclosed by suitable transparent material 13 to admitlight and thereby allay any symptoms of uneasiness that arises amongpatients from the monotony that ensues constant gazing into thedarkness. To prevent a too rapid escape of the steam from the hood 36past the atients head, I provide-a curtain 44 whic 1 is attached to theopen end of the hood 36; the free end of the curtain being passed overthe head of the patient and then draped around the neck.

The centrally located pipe 31 in addition to directing the medicatedsteam to the hood ortion of the steam received from the attac ed boilerdownward and discharges it into a disseminating chamber 48, formed inthe lower portion of the body 15 by the removable division wall 19. Thewall 49 is formed of sheet material, bent at right angle. The forwardend of the horizontal portion is bent downward to form a hook 51' whichengages a groove formed by the bent-plate 52 secured to the wall 15 ofthe body. This arrangement prevents the steam from passing upward alongthe front wall of the body. The vertically extending portion of thedivision wall 49 is provided with numerous perforations 55, exceptimmediately in front of the discharge ends of the vertical pipes 30 and31. See Fig. 2. The purpose of preserving the solid portions of the wallin advance of the discharge ends of the pipes 30 and 31 is to receiveand disseminate the steam. After the volumes of steam have beendisseminated it is plermitted to ass out of the disseminat ing 0 amber48 t rough the perforations 55 and thence into the chamber 58 formed bythe side walls 15 of the body of the generator. The chamber 58 receivesthe lower limbs of the patient when it is desired to induce absorptionin that portion of the anatomy. When such treatment is administrated thepatient is seated directly in front of the open end of the generator andthe lower limbs are inserted into'the chamber 58, the feet resting uponthe lattice-floor composed of the wood strips 62 and the tie-cleats 63.The latticefloor ismounted on the horizontally extending flanges 65secured to both internal side walls 15 of the generator. The steam whichescapes from the chamber 48 through the per-' forations 55 passesunderneath the latticefloor and thence upbetween the slats 62. The slats62 are sufficiently separated to permit free passage of the medicatedsteam so that the patient will receive full benefit thereof.

.A. distributing pipe 30,'formed similarly to accomplished by the pipe31, is mounted on each side of the latter and their lower portions carrysteam to the disseminating chamber 48 in the same manner as the ipe 31,so that said chamber will receive su cient steam to fill the largechamber 58, heretofore mentioned. The upper ends of the pipes 30 connectwith the tubes 68 which extend to and connect with the hoods 71, adaptedto receive the patients arms. The hoods 71 are loosely arranged at eachside of the top of the body of the generator'. Only one of these hoodsis shown in the drawings, but it will be readily understood that ingeneral practice the generator will be provided with two hoods 71,onefor each arm.

The patient in addition to being treated with medicated live steam byinhalation, endosm osis and exosmosis processes may simultaneously betreated by being exposed to the violet or color light ray, and byelectricity. The electric treatment is accomplished by providing thecopper plate 75 and the zinc plate 76 which are both secured to theslats 62 comprising the lattice-floor. These plates form the base uponwhich the patient places the feet, and by connecting the plates to-'gether by means of the wire 80 and then saturating the lates with anactive chemical solution an electric current can be produced. It will beunderstood that in this instance the circuit is completed when the feetare brought into contact with the plates.' The plates 75 and 76 may alsobe 83 by means of the wires 84 if desired, and a direct current may beapplied to the plates by the wires 85 running to the insulated plug 86located in the wall 15 of the generator, by

connected with a battery which a connection can be effected to derivethe current from a source of the generator.

Certain patients; with peculiar maladies, ofttimes require in addit1onto inhalation, endosmosis and exosmosis treatment, some treatment tosoothe and quiet the nervous system, manifestations of which are easilyrecognized in patients suffering with nervous diseases. To meet thiscond1tion the generator is equipped to em loy the violet or color lightray which has een found to produce marked beneficial results, which isproviding the wires 90 so that an electric lighting circuit within thechamber 58 can be established. Numerous lamps 91 are interposed withinthe several lines of wires 90 and the lamps are arranged so that athoroughdistribution of the light is obtained to produce a salutaryeffect upon the anatomy. The circuit formed by the wires 90 is connectedby the lead wires 95 which run to an insulated plug 96located in thewall 15 of the generator, and by which means connection can be made witha high tension circuit. f

Having thus fully described my said inlocated exteriorly vention, what Idesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An electro-therapeutic generator comprising a body and including aheating apparatus, a plurality of boilers arranged within said body, ahood adapted to receive the head of the atient, pipes communicating withthe boi ers and adapted to convey steam to both the hood and body, andmeans on said hood adapted to control the admis sion of air to saidhood.

2. An electro-therapeutie generator comprising a body and including aheating ap aratus, a plurality of boilers arranged wit in said body, ahood adapted to receive the head of the 'atient, pipes communicatingwith the boilers and adapted to convey steam to both the hood and body,means for controlling both the volume and direction of travel of thesteam in said pipes, and means on the hood adapted to control theadmission of air w said hood.

3. All electro-therapeutic generator eomprising a body and including aheating apparatus, a plurality of boilers arranged within said body, ahood arranged above the generator body, means for changing the positionof said hood with relation to the body, pipes communicating with theboilers and adapted to convey steam to said hood, means adapted tocontrol the admission of air to said hood, and a curtain to close theopen end of said hood.

4. An electro-thera eutic generator comprising a body and inc uding aheating appa ratus a plurality of boilers arranged Within coveredopening, a removable wall arranged within the generator body adapted toform a steam disseminating chamber, pipes communicating with the boilersand adapted to convey steam to both the hood and disseminating chamber,and a removably mounted perforated floor arranged within the generatorbody adapted to form a support for the patients feet.

5. An electro-therapeutic generator comprising a body and including aheating apparatus, a plurality of boilers arranged within said body, ahood, pipes communicating with the boilers and adapted to convey steamto said hood, a pair of'elcctrodes arrangedwithin the generator body,and means for connecting the electrodes together, Whereby an electriccircuit may be established.

6. An electro-therapeutic generator comprising a body and including aheating apparatus, a plurality of boilers arranged within said body, ahood, pipes communicating with the boilers and adapted to convey steamto said hood, wires arranged within the gen erator body whereby anelectric light circuit within said body may be established, lampsinterposed withifh said who circuit, and an inclosure adapted tosurround said wire circuit.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this fourth day of March, A. 1). one thousandnine hundred and eight.

SAMUEL N. METZLER. l Vitnesses:

F. W. WQERNER,

said body, a hood including a transparent J. A. MINTURN.

